10 Key Film Trends for 2011

My 2 main pre-occupations are the Raindance Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. Every waking moment I, and the fabulous Raindance team, do nothing except watch films, read scripts and talk to filmmakers, agents, financiers and distributors.

There were a number of troubing and currently unresolved issues this year. The continued implosian of the world's bankers thanks to their indiscriminate greed coupled with awe-inspiring lack of judgement. I fear they haven't changed a thing, and that we could be in for another total whammy.

And secondly, what we are doing to the environment causes me huge concern. And finally, what of our personal freedom and the freedom of the internet as ably and aptly pointed out by the entire Wikileaks fiasco. In fact I think there are many things filmmakers can learn from Julian Assange's Wikileaks.

Here are the key things we think matter to the world of independent film, in no particular order:

1. Alternative Content in Cinema

Digital and 3D screens are being installed in many British cinemas in a trend which will sweep the world.

Read the rest...

Film Finance Primer

The basics of film finance are actually quite simple. It's hard to get the money, but I have outlined the basics in my Film Finance Primer.

If You Think Filmmaking is Hard, Try Distribution

Everyone knows how demanding and difficult it is to make a film, but it's a cake walk compared to what distribution is all about. When I started Raindance in 1992, the process was much simpler: get some money and make the damn thing, enter a few film festivals, fob it off onto a sales agent who'd send you some money from home video and tv sales, and you could do it again.

Not now. The distribution world has changed dramatically. And what about all these new terms like 'hybrid' distribution and trans media?

So you get swept into the swirl, don the all-black wardrobe, start wearing sunglasses day and night, and before you know it you are committing The 7 Deadly Sins of Self Distribution

Are You Making These 4 Deadly Film Mistakes

We are announcing the nominations for this year's British Independent Film Awards on Monday November 1st. As usual there will be tears and jeers for the films not selected.

Have been through this 13 times now (since 1998) one gets to meet a lot of filmmakers. I have to ask:
Are You Making These 4 Deadly Film Mistakes
http://bit.ly/9JQcSv

Becoming A Festival Darling

Rarely do the huge hits of film festivals work commercially, but that doesn't stop filmmakers from trying to become festival darlings.

It's relatively easy to become a festival darling: Just become an indie auteur complete with dark glasses and a black wardrobe.

If your time is precious and you want to sneak preview a few film industry insider tricks, read our article: How To Fake Being An Indie Autuer.

10 Things Screenwriters Should Know About Filmmaking

The film festival has finished and we are cleaning up the office. We played 77 features of which 69 were British premieres - a record for Raindance.

Watching all of the films and meeting and talking to the filmmakers made me realise how often screenwriters don't bother to learn about the important role of the producer and the filmmaking porcess.

I put together the 10 Things Screenwriters Should Know About Filmmaking

Enjoy

7 Challenges Facing Independent Filmmakers

Interesting in the middle of the Raindance Film Festival to meet so many filmmakers from around the world.

It reminded me of coming back from the Cannes Film Festival this spring where I ran into two veteran British film producers who between them had produced nigh onto 60 features, been nominated for or won several Oscars and who by any standard are considered to be highly successful.

They both were very negative about the future of the film industry and the prospects of making films like they had been over the past thirty years. ‘Independent Cinema’ is dead they argued.

I beg to differ.

So I just wrote the 7 Challenges Facing Independent Filmmakers